Carboniferous Fossils

(3 slides)

Paleontology and geology

During the Carboniferous, New Mexico was an archipelago of uplifted islands amidst shallow, warm seaways. Dense forests and swampy areas lush with seed ferns and other vegetation gave way to muddy and limy sea bottoms in this ancestral Rocky Mountain basin and range. Clams and brachiopods are typical marine fossils from this time period.

Links to more on the Carboniferous in New Mexico

Paleogeography of the Southwestern U.S.: The paleogeography of the southwestern U.S. from 1.8 billion years ago to 10 million years ago. Text and images by Dr. Ron Blakey from Northern Arizona University.